Are you sure Szohr's character on Gossip Girl is of Ukrainian descent? Her character's last name Abrams sounds like it's of English origin, not Slavic. Is her character of partial Ukrainian descent? If so, I don't remember that ever being mentioned or denoted, and I've watched every episode of Gossip Girl. The reason I also think her African ancestry is a giveaway is because of her very kinky curls, as well as her slightly broad nose, and the complexion added on top of that just made her look too ethnically ambiguous to pass for pure European in my opinion.

Yes, I am very familiar with the fact that Europeans can range in darker skin hues, especially Slavs and Mediterraneans. My mother is Brazilian, but her ancestral background is entirely Portuguese, and Portuguese folk are steoreopically viewed as being swarthy (think Nelly Furtado and James Franco), just like with Italians, Greeks, and Spaniards. My mother is pasty pale like a Northern European, and most people assume she is a Northern European foreigner when they come across her, her brother is even paler with baby blonde hair, so they definitely disprove the stereotype of all Mediterraneans being swarthy.

Guillermo del Toro is also prime example of a person of Mediterranean background with a pale complexion. Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, famous for directing the Hellboy films and Pan's Labyrinth to name a few:

You see, a person can't look Mexican, since Mexican is not a race, but merely a nationality, but I guess you mean Mila Kunis can pass for a Mexican in the sense she looks like the stereotypical image of one. Guillermo del Toro, is Mexican, and as anyone can see, he's white, and that's because he falls under the 9% of Mexicans that are of predominantly or entirely European background, in his case being of Spanish descent, hence the last name.

I concur with you on Olga Kurlyenko. When I found out both her parents were Slavs a while ago, I was really surpised. I expected her to be at the least ¼ East Asian.

Being Slav or part Slav is enviable. I love their bone structure, complexion range, and full lips! A great number of the best supermodels are Eastern Europeans.

Originally Posted by Marllon

Yes, on the show Vanessa's character is Ukrainian; Dan often sites this on the show repeatedly. I know that Mexican is not a race; the majority of Mexicans are a mixture of Native American and European. My brother's wife is Mexican, etc. And why are you arguing with me over this? This is ridiculous.

Of course not all Mexicans look Native American, but the majority do. I do not see how that is "stereotypical" or wrong. Just like the majority of Jamaica's residents are African descent. Sure there are Chinese, Syrians, Indians, but the majority of them are Black. I am well familiar with Del Toro since he is one of my favorite directors. He is probably the exception compared to thousands of other people that are ethnic Mexicans. The Portuguese look different because of a mixture of Berbers and North Africans, the same goes for Italians and Spaniards. Olga looks Asian because the Mongolian empire included present day Ukraine and Russia, etc. and their reign lasted for over 200 years. There was a lot of mixing of Tatars and Mongols, so it shouldn't be surprising that a lot of Eastern Slavs have an olive complexion and slanted eyes. There are still Tatars in these areas but they are now an ethnic minority

Yes, on the show Vanessa's character is Ukrainian; Dan often sites this on the show repeatedly. I know that Mexican is not a race; the majority of Mexicans are a mixture of Native American and European. My brother's wife is Mexican, etc. And why are you arguing with me over this? This is ridiculous.

I had no clue we were arguing, but thanks for clearing that up. I simply took our exchange of replies as being neutral because I'm too pacific of a person to get into an altercation, but clearly you did not feel the same way. You see I don't bother arguing over the internet, because frankly it's pathetic, so I'd have to agree with you, this is absolutely ridiculous. Goodbye now.

i did not realize until i saw these
pictures she was a "mixed girl."
i looked it up and it said she was
hungarian and african american.

i always thought she was hispanic.

Originally Posted by sillyellie

Well, Hispanic is not a race, but a culture, so a Hispanic can be racially black, Caucasian, Native American, Far Eastern, and/or mixed-race. Faizon Love is a Hispanic born in Cuba, and his race is black. Alexis Bledel's mother is Mexican and her father Argentine, and as you can see, she's white. Many of us have a stereotypical image of how Hispanics should look like, and those who usually fit that stereotypical image are those of mixed-race ancestry. Most people of Mexican descent have a multigenerationally amalgamated ethnic background of European and Native American ancestry. Many Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Cubans have a multigenerationally amalgamated background of European and African ancestry, so that's why you might've assumed Jessica Szohr to be Hispanic, because of the stereotypical image.

My sister and I are also ¼ black and ¾ Caucasian, or quadroons as the old caste system would have us referred as. As for Jessica Szohr self-identifying as Caucasian, I find that a little hard to believe, as she does have a tell that she's black, based on her very kinky curls, olive complexion, and slightly broad nose. Right when I saw her for the first time on Gossip Girl, I knew she was a black girl. I guess being a ¼ myself, it's easier for me to be able to tell than others. I personally self-identify as black, but my sister leans more to self-identifying as mixed-race. I've been mistaken for Hispanic as well (usually Puerto Rican), because of the stereotypical image, since most Puerto Ricans also have genetic admixture of Caucasian and African ancestry. Most quadroons don't end up looking completely Caucasian, but rather with a slight tell, take Mariah Carey for example, she's a good example of how visibly black quadroons usually tend to look like.

Anywho, it's nice to meet you all. My name is Marllon. I believe I'm a multitexture of 3b, 2b, 3a, and 2c. My younger sister got the short end of the gene pool, and ended up with pin straight, fine hair. It's lifeless, flat, and dull, and that makes me all the more grateful to have been so lucky to end up a curlyhead. I'm a newbie as of today, and I intend on frequenting these boards avidly.

Much love to my fellow curlies!

Originally Posted by Marllon

Hmm, her features are more stereotypically centralish/eastern european to me. She plays a Ukrainian on the show and is really of Hungarian descent. A lot of Slavic people have olive skin and such features so it isn't hard for mistake her for something else. My father is Ukrainian and has tanned skin, slanted eyes, and curly hair. It's pretty common... the light skinned Slavic people are usually those from the Baltic area...

Had friends from Czech Republic and Hungary and they all had her complexion or darker, and they were White. I think we as Americans have a stereotypical view of what a White person is supposed to look like...

Are you sure Szohr's character on Gossip Girl is of Ukrainian descent? Her character's last name Abrams sounds like it's of English origin, not Slavic. Is her character of partial Ukrainian descent? If so, I don't remember that ever being mentioned or denoted, and I've watched every episode of Gossip Girl. The reason I also think her African ancestry is a giveaway is because of her very kinky curls, as well as her slightly broad nose, and the complexion added on top of that just made her look too ethnically ambiguous to pass for pure European in my opinion.

Yes, I am very familiar with the fact that Europeans can range in darker skin hues, especially Slavs and Mediterraneans. My mother is Brazilian, but her ancestral background is entirely Portuguese, and Portuguese folk are steoreopically viewed as being swarthy (think Nelly Furtado and James Franco), just like with Italians, Greeks, and Spaniards. My mother is pasty pale like a Northern European, and most people assume she is a Northern European foreigner when they come across her, her brother is even paler with baby blonde hair, so they definitely disprove the stereotype of all Mediterraneans being swarthy.

Guillermo del Toro is also prime example of a person of Mediterranean background with a pale complexion. Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, famous for directing the Hellboy films and Pan's Labyrinth to name a few:

You see, a person can't look Mexican, since Mexican is not a race, but merely a nationality, but I guess you mean Mila Kunis can pass for a Mexican in the sense she looks like the stereotypical image of one. Guillermo del Toro, is Mexican, and as anyone can see, he's white, and that's because he falls under the 9% of Mexicans that are of predominantly or entirely European background, in his case being of Spanish descent, hence the last name.

I concur with you on Olga Kurlyenko. When I found out both her parents were Slavs a while ago, I was really surpised. I expected her to be at the least ¼ East Asian.

Being Slav or part Slav is enviable. I love their bone structure, complexion range, and full lips! A great number of the best supermodels are Eastern Europeans.

Originally Posted by Marllon

Yes, on the show Vanessa's character is Ukrainian; Dan often sites this on the show repeatedly. I know that Mexican is not a race; the majority of Mexicans are a mixture of Native American and European. My brother's wife is Mexican, etc. And why are you arguing with me over this? This is ridiculous.

Of course not all Mexicans look Native American, but the majority do. I do not see how that is "stereotypical" or wrong. Just like the majority of Jamaica's residents are African descent. Sure there are Chinese, Syrians, Indians, but the majority of them are Black. I am well familiar with Del Toro since he is one of my favorite directors. He is probably the exception compared to thousands of other people that are ethnic Mexicans. The Portuguese look different because of a mixture of Berbers and North Africans, the same goes for Italians and Spaniards. Olga looks Asian because the Mongolian empire included present day Ukraine and Russia, etc. and their reign lasted for over 200 years. There was a lot of mixing of Tatars and Mongols, so it shouldn't be surprising that a lot of Eastern Slavs have an olive complexion and slanted eyes. There are still Tatars in these areas but they are now an ethnic minority

Originally Posted by helloyellowbird

I'm not trying to bring this argument up again, but Marllon does have a point. I'm whats considered "Afro-Latina." I'm always being told that I can't possibly be Latina because of my looks. It's frustrating, degrading, and down right annoying. I'm not saying that you Highyellowbird are wrong, I just want you to see from another stand point. Stereotypes and generalities really hurt. A lot of Latino actors can't get roles as Latinos because they don't fit the status quo for the role. You can't be too white, and you can't be too black. As Marllon said, being Latino is culture, and even with that our culture varies from country to country. In Mexico the traditional food is different from what is eaten in the Spanish Caribbean, and same for the rest of South & Central America. Again, I'm not trying to stir anything up, but I do see the point in Marllon continuing to clarify between perceived stereotypes, averages, and what is.

lol. i hate these internet race arguments. people don't generally have these arguments with strangers, but on the internet, it's like no holds, everyone say all the things they would never say in polite society.

it's a mess. who cares? if i looked at that chic and she said she was Chinese. i'd politely say ok. Then I would walk away thinking someone lied to her whole life.

Jessica is so pretty with her natural curly hair! I don't know why show producers always feel the need to jack up people's hair! If I were her I would've been like, "you better back up off me with that flat iron! My hair is fine the way it is!" but that's just me...... .

My hair is: 3b-4a, at my shoulders

My goal: To have my hair down to my waist or near my waist by 2012!

My favorite quote: Don't be afraid of death... but rather the unlived life. - Angus Tuck in the movie Tuck Everlasting

Interesting topic! I do feel that Jessica's hair looks great :-). Ive noticed that a lot of producers on these shows tend to like using ethnically ambiguous girl to bring a look of exoticism to the show. I was just talking to a few of my friends the other day about how they make some women look sterotypically "white" although they may be of mixed ansestry. For example we were looking at Enough and how Jennifer Lopez played a role of a white woman, blond hair and all. I also didn't know all of the information that Marllon and helloyellowbird gave so that is pretty enlightening. BTW helloyellowbird, you and your hair are gorgeous!!

Are you sure Szohr's character on Gossip Girl is of Ukrainian descent? Her character's last name Abrams sounds like it's of English origin, not Slavic. Is her character of partial Ukrainian descent? If so, I don't remember that ever being mentioned or denoted, and I've watched every episode of Gossip Girl. The reason I also think her African ancestry is a giveaway is because of her very kinky curls, as well as her slightly broad nose, and the complexion added on top of that just made her look too ethnically ambiguous to pass for pure European in my opinion.

Yes, I am very familiar with the fact that Europeans can range in darker skin hues, especially Slavs and Mediterraneans. My mother is Brazilian, but her ancestral background is entirely Portuguese, and Portuguese folk are steoreopically viewed as being swarthy (think Nelly Furtado and James Franco), just like with Italians, Greeks, and Spaniards. My mother is pasty pale like a Northern European, and most people assume she is a Northern European foreigner when they come across her, her brother is even paler with baby blonde hair, so they definitely disprove the stereotype of all Mediterraneans being swarthy.

Guillermo del Toro is also prime example of a person of Mediterranean background with a pale complexion. Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, famous for directing the Hellboy films and Pan's Labyrinth to name a few:

You see, a person can't look Mexican, since Mexican is not a race, but merely a nationality, but I guess you mean Mila Kunis can pass for a Mexican in the sense she looks like the stereotypical image of one. Guillermo del Toro, is Mexican, and as anyone can see, he's white, and that's because he falls under the 9% of Mexicans that are of predominantly or entirely European background, in his case being of Spanish descent, hence the last name.

I concur with you on Olga Kurlyenko. When I found out both her parents were Slavs a while ago, I was really surpised. I expected her to be at the least ¼ East Asian.

Originally Posted by Marllon

I understand what your saying people look at you and already think they know your background. Happens to me everyday of my life. I have tight 3c curls and dark skin but my mom is 3/4 scottish and 1/4 african and my dad is entirely portuguese. People assume both my parents are dark and everything but neither of them are. This is a picture of me:

If someone saw me they wouldnt know where I come from. I think people need to stop looking at someone and thinking they know where they come from. I went to Portugal and I began to speak portuguese to someone behind the counter and everyone was shocked that im a african girl speaking portuguese. In fact english isnt even my first language its portuguese. Honestly, I think everyone needs to stop judging by what you look like

~Meena

I cant fight my curls
I cant control my curls
I really just let them roll free
What else can i do?

~I have curly curly 3c hair w/ some 4a up in little corners!
~I'm have a love affair with the Ojon Line and faithfully use Garnier Fructis Spray Gel.
~I love all my kinks, coils, and curls even when I wanna rip them out!
~Trying to gorw out to BSL, any tips? Drop a mesage!

It's a shame that Jessica Szhor changed her hair just for the sake of Hollywood, but, unfortunately, until someone says enough, it'll keep happening. Cantfightcurls, I hear ya. People constantly assume things about my background based on my looks. I was telling my friends that just the other day, I was at the store shopping for hair stuff (what fun!) when one of the employees just comes up and asks me if I'm Cuban, in a sort-of in-your-face kind of way, not even an "Excuse me, miss" or anything. After I told them I was 1/2-black, 1/2 white with two American parents, he was happy, I guess. I get weird encounters like that occassionally and I told my friends that for times like that, I'm gonna tell people I'm from Middle Earth, like in Lord of the Rings, since some people are so pressed.

I'm a huge fan of Gossip Girl. Ive always thought that "Vanessa" was the prettiest girl on the show.

I knew that she was a curly but I had no idea her hair was so curly. She has beautiful tight curls. But you'd never know that unless you've seen some of her old modeling pics. I wish she would wear her hair completely natural more often and represent for the 3c girls

Originally Posted by MissKinkyCoily

I'm glad you posted pictures of her curly hair,it is gorgeous and so is she! I've never watched the show either,but she's on the cover of my April 2009 LUCKY magazine.

Yea, she relaxes it now at least. It's kind of silly because I kind of hate her because her character on Gossip Girl annoys me so I have been secretly wishing that the produces kill her off or something XD She's a lucky gal though, dating Ed I think I hate her because of that too -cough- Anywho...

When she first came on the show her hair was tighter, but as the show went on her curls got looser and looser. And now it looks like this

I don't like the look in this latest picture. Her hair has a lot of frizz. Whatever she's doing to it may be causing some damage.

Maybe if her character does get killed off, she'll have the sense to go back to natural!

"Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, 'This is going to take more than one night.' " - Charlie BrownHEY!!! Follow me at http://www.twitter.com/kurleeedna